Trap.



N0. 878987. PATENTED FEB. 11, 1908.

J. W. MOEAGHERN.

TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5, 1907.

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JOHN WALTER McEACI-IERN, OF EULA, TEXAS.

TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1908.

Application filed July 5. 1907. Serial No. 382.308.

hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in traps, and moreparticularly to that class adapted to be used in trapping smalleranimals or birds, and my object is to provide means for directing theanimals into the trap when the animals attempt to reach the bait.

A further object is to provide means for securing the bait on the trapand a still further object is to provide run-ways in the trap for thebetter imprisonment of the animals.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter referred to and moreparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which are made a part of this application,Figure 1 is a perspective view of the trap complete and ready for use.Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectionalview through the trap showing the tilting platform in its operativeposition by dotted lines, and, Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectionalView through the trap.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates the frameof my improved trap which preferably consists of a plurality ofuprights, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, said uprights being arranged in pairs andsurrounded at their lower ends by a wall 7., which preferably consistsof sheet metal or the like.

Pivotally mounted between the pairs of uprights 2 is a pivot point 9 tothe free end of the platform, being at an angle to the inner end of theplatform, so that when the platform is in its normal position, the freeend of the inclined portion thereof will rest upon the ground or othersuitable support, while the inner end of the platform, or thatportionextending to the opposite side of the pivot point will be in ahorizontal position and the extreme inner end thereof engaging the loweredge of a beam 10, said beam being employed to limit the movement of theplatform in one direction.

The inner end of the platform 8 extends from the uprights 2 to theuprights 3, while the inclined end thereof extends a distance from theforward end of the trap, thereby providing more weight at the inclinedend of the platform than at the opposite end, so that the inner end ofthe platform will be normally held in a horizontal position and againstthe lower edge of the beam 10.

The animal, in approaching the trap, travels up the inclined portion ofthe platform 8 and onto the horizontal portion thereof, and

the platform is so balanced that as soon as;

the animal has reached the horizontal portion of the platform, that endof the platform will descend and the inclined end thereof ascend, whichwill result in pitching the animal forward and into that portion of thetrap sur rounded by the wall 7, and as soon as the weight of-the animalis removed from the inner end of the platform, the platform will swingupon its pivot point and return to its initial position, therebyimprisoning the animal in the trap.

The animal, in descending from the platform 8 is deposited upon aninclined floor section 11, which extends rearwardly and upwardly fromthe lower end of the uprights 2 to the uprights 6, and above the floorsection 11, I provide an auxiliary floor section 12, which is preferablyhorizontal and extends from the uprights 3 to the uprights 5, the floors11 and 12 forming a run-way, which decreases in size towards the rearend of the trap and as the first inclination of the animal, whenentering the run-way is to attempt to escape, it naturally travels upthe inclined floor section 11 so that the animal is brought into contactwith the auxiliary floor section when it has reached the rear end of thetrap and in. order to allow the animal to escape into the upper portionof the trap, I provide a door 13, which is hingedly secured between theuprights 6 and extends into engagement with the rear end of theauxiliary floor 12 when the door is closed, but will readily yield andbe elevated by the animal pushing against the lower side thereof, andwill immediately descend as soon as the animal has passed into the upperportion of the trap and in this manner the animal is prevented fromreturning into the run-way after it has once entered the upper portionof the tra 1 :1 order to prevent the animal from returning to the lowerend of the floor section 11, I hingedly secure to the bottom of theauxiliary floor section 12 a door 14, which extends laterally across thetrap and abuts against the rear edge of the uprights 4 thereby limitingthe forward movement of the door but leaving the same free to move inthe opposite direction and the lower edge of the door is extended adistance above the floor section 11,, so that a small space will be leftbetween the door and floor section, which will entice the animal toattempt to pass below the door, but it will be understood that the doorwill freely swing open when engaged by the animal and will allow theanimal to move towards the rear end of the trap, but will immediatelydescend as soon as the animal has moved beyond the door. In this mannerthe space below the horizontal portion of the platform 8 is kept clearso that the next animal stepping upon the inner end of the platform willbe deposited on the floor section 11. The upper ends of the uprights areprovided with a covering of Woven wire, or the like, 15 which extendsalong both sides of the trap and across the rear end thereof,

, the space between the uprights 2 being left free of the wire, so thatthe animals can readily pass onto the inner end of the tilting platform,and between the uprights 3 and 4 is located a compartment 16, which isformed by extending woven wire laterally across the trap to formpartitions 17 and 18, the partition 18 limiting the rearward travel ofthe animal, while the partition 17 forms one end wall of a compartment19 formed above the auxiliary floor 12 into which the animals pass fromthe run-way.

The compartments 16 and 19 are provided with a cover 20, which ispreferably of sheet metal and is provided with removable sections 21 and22 over the compartments 16 and 19 respectively, so that access may behad to the compartments.

The object of the compartment 16 is to provide a place for depositingbait, such as grain, or the like, employed for attracting the birds tothe trap or solid substances may also be deposited therein forattracting the animals. In addition to the compartment 16, a hook 23 issecured to the front face of the compartment 16, so that solid bait,such as meat, or the like, may be secured thereon to attract theanimals.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a very cheap and economicalform of trap for catching various kinds of animals and birds and onethat will hold a number of the animals at one and the same time. It willfurther be seen that by providing the inclined floor the animals inattempting to escape will move from under the tilting platform and intothe upper compartment, and by providing the swinging doors, as shown,the animals are prevented from returning to that portion of th.erunwaybelow the tilting platform.

What I claim is:

1. A trap of the class described, comprising a plurality of uprights, awall surrounding the lower portion of said uprights, a platformpivotally mounted between said uprights adjacent the upper edge of saidWall, a portion of said platform being inclined, an inclined floorsection in the lower portion of the trap, an auxiliary floor sectionabove said inclined floor section, a screen surrounding the uprightsabove the auxiliary floor section to form a compartment and a swingingclosure between said inclined and auxiliary floor sections and at therear end of the auxiliary section.

2. A trap of the class described, comprising a plurality of uprights, awall surrounding the lower ends of said uprights, a platform pivotallymounted between two of said uprights, the outer end of said platformbeing inclined, an inclined floor section between the lower ends of saiduprights, and extending from the front totlie rear end of the trap, anauxiliary floor section above said inclined floor section, a swingingdoor at the rear end of said auxiliary section, screen wire surroundingthe upper ends of the uprights, a partition in the upper portion of thetrap forming compartments, one of which is employed as a baitcompartment, a cover for said compartments and movable sections on saidcover, whereby access may be had to the compartments.

3. A trap of the class described, comprising a plurality of uprights, awall surrounding the lower ends of said uprights and screen Wire at theupper ends of said uprights, a platform pivotally mounted between'theuprights at the forward end of said trap, one end ofsaid platform beinginclined and extended forwardly from the trap, said platform beingadapted to tilt when weight is placed on the inner end thereof, aninclined floor section in the lower end of said'trap, an auxiliary floorsection above said inclined floor section, a vertically disposed doorhingedly secured to the lower face of said auxiliary floor section, ahorizontally disposed door at the rear end of said auxiliary floor, ascreen Wire forming compartments above said auxiliary floor, one ofwhich is adapted to receive bait, a cover for said compartments, movablesections on said cover, and a hook extending over the inner end of saidplatform.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN WALTER MOEACHERN.

Witnesses J. T. BARNETT, WV. H. MONK.

